The following relates to the nuclear reactor arts, electrical power generation arts, nuclear reactor control arts, nuclear electrical power generation control arts, thermal management arts, and related arts.
In nuclear reactor designs for steam generation, such as boiling water reactor (BWR) and pressurized water reactor (PWR) designs, a radioactive reactor core is immersed in primary coolant water at or near the bottom of a pressure vessel. In BWR designs heat generated by the reactor core boils the primary coolant water creating steam that is extracted by components (e.g., steam separators, steam dryer, or so forth) located at or near the top of the pressure vessel. In PWR designs the primary coolant is maintained in a compressed or subcooled liquid phase and is either flowed out of the pressure vessel into an external steam generator, or a steam generator is located within the pressure vessel (sometimes called an “integral PWR” design). In either design, heated primary coolant water heats secondary coolant water in the steam generator to generate steam. An advantage of the PWR design is that the steam comprises secondary coolant water that is not exposed to the radioactive reactor core.
In either a BWR design or a PWR design, the primary coolant flows through a closed circulation path. Primary coolant water flowing upward through the reactor core is heated and rises through a central region to the top of the reactor, where it reverses direction and flows downward back to the reactor core through a downcomer annulus defined between the pressure vessel and a concentric riser structure. This is a natural convection flow circuit for such a reactor configuration. However, for higher power reactors it is advantageous or necessary to supplement or supplant the natural convection with motive force provided by electromechanical reactor coolant pumps.
In a conventional approach, glandless pumps are used, in which a unitary drive shaft/impeller subassembly is rotated by a pump motor. This design has the advantage of not including any seals at the drive shaft/impeller connection (hence the name “glandless”). For nuclear reactors, a common implementation is to provide a unitary reactor coolant pump comprising the sealless drive shaft/impeller subassembly, the motor (including the stator, a rotor magnet or windings, and suitable bearings or other drive shaft couplings), and a supporting flange that supports the motor and includes a graphalloy seal through which the drive shaft passes to connect the pump motor with the impeller. The reactor coolant pump is installed by inserting the impeller through an opening in the reactor pressure vessel and securing the flange over the opening. When installed, the impeller is located inside the pressure vessel and the pump motor is located outside of the pressure vessel (and preferably outside of any insulating material disposed around the pressure vessel). Although the motor is outside of the pressure vessel, sufficient heat still transfers to the pump motor so that dedicated motor cooling is typically provided in the form of a heat exchanger or the like. External placement of the pump motor simplifies electrical power connection and enables the pump motor to be designed for a rated temperature substantially lower than that of the primary coolant water inside the pressure vessel. Only the impeller and the impeller end of the drive shaft penetrate inside the pressure vessel.
Disclosed herein are improvements that provide various benefits that will become apparent to the skilled artisan upon reading the following.